Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/93

Contributor - Gardiner Skelly

Title - Wise or Otherwise

Topic - Wise or Otherwise

We travelled through Algonquin Park this summer where the road winds amidst sylvan forests and steals along the rocky shores of shimmering, silvery lakes. As we brushed the edge of one particular lake, suddenly the wheels of memory whirred and the years, almost thirty of them, rolled back to an episode with friends who at that distant date were staying in a rented cabin on this very lake.

By prior arrangement, they had come with their children to spend a day with us at our cottage in the Almaguin Highlands some fifty miles from their rustic retreat. It turned out to be a glorious summer day, brilliant sunshine, clear blue sky and never a cloud in sight all day long. We swam and talked and boated and talked and ate and talked, and all the while our assorted respective children mingled and played in comparative compatibility! But all too soon, as is the case with such idyllic interludes, it was time for them to take their leave. And it was then that a disconcerting discovery was made. The battery in their car was dead! Here was a crisis calling for creative ingenuity. Rising to the occasion, I suggested that they borrow my battery, have their own re-charged and then return with ours the next day. This was an inspired suggestion, since it meant that we would get a second visit with them in the space of two days!

It all worked out exactly as planned. They were back the following afternoon with the borrowed battery and, as a bonus, a great story. They reported that as they made their way towards Huntsville the previous evening, the shadows of twilight began to close in on them. My friend switched on his headlights which were now powered by my battery. The lights came on but not as bright as he had expected. He trundled on in the gathering gloom for a moment or two and then remarked to his wife, "You know, I think Fred's battery needs to be re-charged too." To which she replied, with cool wifely deliberation and a knowing side glance, "I think dear if you remove your sunglasses, you'll find it will help your vision considerably!"

Deservedly the story was greeted with gales of laughter and, even after the passage of many years, is still the occasion of some gentle mirth. But more than that it is possessed of a parabolic dimension which proposes a point or two worth pondering in both pulpit and pew.

On the one hand, and most obviously, it suggests the old perennial theme of the primary importance of recharging those internal storage batteries which power our spiritual life and enable us to function as effective dynamic Christians. So the story becomes a word about the priority of prayer, of public worship and of loving service, for it is through such vital activities that the renewing current of God's grace flows into our lives just when our batteries are in danger of dying.

And on the other hand, as we reflect upon it, the story speaks about our common human tendency to find the root of our problems in others rather than in ourselves. "The fault is in Fred's battery," was the spontaneous reaction of my friend. But, in fact, the problem was not in my battery but in his sunglasses! Of course, this sort of thing is as old as Adam himself When he is confronted about his delinquency in Eden, he explains, defensively, to God, "Oh, it was the woman you gave me, she's the one who tempted me." Eve, in turn, proves to be a quick leamer and neatly shifts the blame onto the serpent. Continually, we need to search our hearts in this regard, for it is only when in honesty we own our failures - and only when in contrition we confess them, that we can find the gift of God's forgiveness.

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